Internationalization: Vision, approach, and experience

Recently, I was asked about my vision and approach to internationalization and how my experience has shaped my views of it. The question prompted this blog post. 

Before addressing the vision, approach, and experience, it's important to define internationalization. In my view, internationalization is about attitudes, knowledge, and skills related to the ways in which people, and the organizations they work in, interact across geo-political boundaries and cultural differences. Internationalization is process-oriented. It's a journey of deliberate, strategic decision-making, and action-steps. It's also impromptu, responsive, and dynamic. Sometimes, internationalization just "happens" without strategic planning. It's typically both intentional and organic; it's always a process and never just a destination. It fosters connections, empathy, and awareness across cultures and geo-political borders. 

After writing this, I decided to check to see how Claude, my current preferred AI tool, would define internationalization. Claude certainly took a more business-like approach to the definition, emphasizing building products or content which can work across languages, regions, and cultures without requiring engineering changes. With a few prompts, Claude provided a more nuanced explanation in relationship to education, emphasizing intercultural and global aspects in how education functions and is delivered. Claude gave a shout out to Jane Knight who I have referenced in previous scholarship (click here to read a seminal piece by Prof. Knight). Claude provided examples of internationalization such as student mobility, global partnerships, and international research. It also cautions that universities can advocate for internationalization more as a revenue-stream (i.e., bringing more international students to the uni) than as an educational or philosophical approach. This last point is certainly a long-standing criticism that is well-established in the scholarly literature (there are lots of examples, but here is a recent article, by Dr. Farai Kapfudzaruwa of the University of Pretoria, which provides an excellent overview wiht perspectives from the Global South and Global North).

So, if I return to my personal deconstruction of the term, I can see some divergences from what Claude provided. Primarily, the Claude definition focuses on product/destination (e.g., student mobility) whereas I focus on process/journey (attitudes, skills, knowledge). I suspect that this is not an either/or argument. Both destination and journey are important in understanding internationalization.

A Vision 

Internationalization is both outward facing (building connections internationally) and inward focused (helping students, faculty, staff develop a mindset of global-mindedness and associated skills and knowledge). I would hope that our schools and post-secondary institutions are vibrant ecosystems which value international-mindedness, cosmopolitanism, and pluralism but do so in critical ways to consistently question: Who benefits? Who is engaged? Whose voice is missing? etc.

In my work, I draw on scholars like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (yes, of the Danger of a Single Story) who, in Americanah, takes on ideas like transnationalism, identity, and belonging.  A vision for internationalization needs to wrestle with these ideas.

I used to teach a first year undergraduate course in which I assigned a reading by Kwame Appiah, author of Ethics of Identity and Cosmopolitanism Ethics in a World of Strangers. In the course, I assigned a reading from his chapter, "Education for Global Citizenship" (2008) which includes a wonderful quote that, different cultures are respected "not because cultures matter in themselves, but because people matter, and culture matters to people" (p. 88). So, a vision for internationalization needs to consider what matters to people.

My own writing in this blog over the years has wrestled with some of these concepts: What does it mean to belong? How do we authentically work and "be" in different cultural contexts? How do we strive to foster global-mindedness in a time of polarization and a return to the "local"? What matters to people and how do I learn from these matters and from these people?

So, my vision for internationalization is to support student mobility, faculty exchanges, international research partnerships, etc. AND to really focus on the processes involved in all of these. At the core of this process is the question: How can we "be" different instead of just "do" different? 

My Approach 

"Being" or embodying internationalization seems very abstract and esoteric. What are some practical ways this can get lived out? How can we "lead" to be critical internationalists? Three suggestions might provide some starting points: 

1. First, we must always listen and align. I have a tendency to do. I need to slow down and listen to what my students, colleagues, and community members are saying (or are not saying!). We need to listen and then look for ways that we can support, critique, engage, respond, or align with what is being communicated. Sometimes we need to start with listening and end with listening. No further action is needed but learning has occurred. 

2. Second, a framework like the 4R Model which I developed and published (click here), helps prioritize and keep front-of-centre relationships, reciprocity, resources, and responsiveness. Humility and a growth/learning-oriented mindset are key to effective internationalization efforts. Reciprocity is critical.

3. Third, start at home. We often promote student, staff, and faculty mobility projects and these can be incredibly helpful in developing global-mindedness. But they can also perpetuate colonial approaches and are often not fully reflective of what it means to live, work, and play in diverse contexts. Often there is limited reciprocity in these projects as resources tend to flow in one direction. We should put greater emphasis on how we can develop intercultural skills, and a global mindset, in local contexts. So, act locally so we can think globally. One of Kwame Appiah's suggestions is to watch a foreign movie once a month with sub-titles on. Let's add to that: Eat food you haven't before, watch a sporting event that is new to you, listen to world music ... and for my faculty colleagues, simple things like incorporating literature in our syllabi which reflects global scholarship.

My Experience 

I have had a myriad of different experiences related to internationalization, from teaching diverse students in Canada to international research partnerships to supporting local community groups which have global connections. This blog has captured many of these experiences and represents the synthesis of my experience: The global and the local are not divided, they are strongly intertwined. Internationalization is not just about "there", it's also about "here" (t/here). Let's be mindful of the opportunities, critiques, and traps of internationalization but let's not give up because it's hard or because we've made mistakes. In a time where there seems to be an entrenchment of views and prioritizing the local, we need courageous people to be different.

Inaugural eastern Caribbean regional inclusive education conference: Building research and professional networks to support inclusive education for students with disabilities in the eastern Caribbean.

The inaugural eastern Caribbean regional conference on inclusive education occurred from February 26-28, 2025 in Rodney Bay, St Lucia. The title of the conference was: Building research and professional networks to support inclusive education for students with disabilities in the eastern Caribbean.

The overarching question guiding the conference was: How can researchers and educational system leaders collectively work to foster inclusive education for students with disabilities and special educational needs in the eastern Caribbean?

The conference had four specific objectives:

• Objective #1: Provide an inter-sectoral knowledge exchange on inclusive education through presentations, discussions, resource-sharing, and resource development.

• Objective #2: Facilitate the development of connections to support future collaborations in research and practice focused on inclusive education. 

• Objective #3: Support the creation of a working group that will engage in future research priorities, formal research partnerships, and collaborative networks in inclusive education.

• Objective # 4: Mobilize knowledge beyond the conference through the development of research-informed resource materials on inclusive education for various stakeholder audiences.

How did the conference come to be? As a result of a conversation over dinner two years ago. I had come to St Lucia to participate in another conference and was introduced to Mr. Dale St Juste, education officer with leadership responsibility for special education in the St Lucia Ministry of Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training. As we had dinner, I was struck by his comment that he did not know people with similar responsibility in the surrounding islands. As we talked about the challenges of supporting students with disabilities and special educational needs in St Lucia, we decided to put effort into bringing the leaders from the surrounding islands together to network, share resources, and simply get to know each other (see Objectives 1-4 above). We successfully applied for and received a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada Connection Grant (it was the #1 ranked application, just saying!) and started planning for the conference.

Mr. Dale St Juste welcoming participants to the conference

In addition to Mr. Juste, other representatives from the Ministry of Education participated in the conference. Miss Angel Caglin of the Caribbean Innovation and Leadership Lab, gave leadership to facilitating discussions at the conference.

Miss Angel Caglin presenting

The Honourable Shawn Edward, Minister of Education for St Lucia, started the conference with a call to include and further improve education for disabled students and those with special educational needs. The conference was honoured to have other high level officials in attendance including the Chief Education Officer, Mrs. Beverly Dieudonne, and the deputy CEO, Mr. Cyrus Cepal. Dr. Kathy Hogarth, associate vice-president of global strategy at Wilfrid Laurier University in Canada, was also in attendance and provided greetings.

Dr. Kathy Hogarth, associate vice-president of global strategy at Laurier; Honourable Shawn Edward, Minister of Education for St Lucia; Mrs. Beverly Dieudonne, Chief Education Officer for St Lucia

In addition to St Lucia, representatives from the countries of Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, and St Vincent and the Grenadines were present.

We were delighted by the active participation in the conference of Mrs. Sisera Simon and Mr. Rafer Gordon, the top education officials from the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). The OECS is the "connected tissue" that supports regional integration in the eastern Caribbean.

Conference Organizing Team

The organization of the conference was supported by Canadian participants including Dr. Jacqueline Specht, Dr. Kimberly Maich, Dr. Jhonel Morvan, and myself. Dr. Specht and I provided keynote addresses which focused on an overview of research on inclusive education globally and case examples of inclusive education policy to practice in small island states.

Dr. Sider speaking

At the conclusion of the conference, participants indicated that the objectives had been met, that they had established new professional relationships, and nurtured their own leadership competencies to support inclusive education for students with disabilities and special educational needs. The group looks forward to further collaborative opportunities to build capacity for inclusive education in the eastern Caribbean. The group has already begun actively sharing resources and developing a community of practice.

A conference of this magnitude could not occur without significant support from multiple sponsors and funders. These included:

• Saint Lucia Ministry of Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training

• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada

• Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty of Education

• Wilfrid Laurier University Office of Research Services

• Office of Global Strategy at Wilfrid Laurier University

• Canadian Research Centre on Inclusive Education

• Caribbean Innovation & Leadership Lab

It's amazing how a conversation over a meal can lead to long-term partnerships and large-scale change efforts. However, the most important outcome of that dinner will be determined by the actions we individually and collectively take to support student belonging, well-being, and achievement in our respective jurisdictions. May there be many dinners in the future in which we celebrate that accomplishment.

Who is my neighbour?

I haven't written in this blog for a year but last night's US election results, and the sleepless night that followed, have drawn me to writing as a form of therapy (or resistance).

I've tried to seek to understand the results, and probably more accurately, the motivation of people to vote as they did. I am at a loss in this effort to understand. I guess what I do know is that I don't know nor do I understand. Maybe that's a start.

But what has really given me some angst is trying to sort out my own thinking in how I respond on a person-by-person, individual level to people with whom I disagree (and, of whom I don't understand).

In the Christian faith, a person asks Jesus who is their neighbour (Luke 10). Jesus responds by telling a story. In that story, he flips the narrative so that the neighbour is someone who we might never imagine. It's someone that we might not get along with, someone we don't understand. It's also someone who is in need. And for/with/to whom I am confronted with whether I take action to help. 

Some people refer to this as the Golden Rule: treat others as you would want to be treated. More recently, I have heard people reference the Platinum Rule which emphasizes seeking to understand other peoples' preferences, what they want and not what I might want, and taking action accordingly.

In a way, the idea of being a neighour is very much aligned with the idea of "glocal." Being a neighbour isn't just about the person who physically lives near to me. It's recognizing that being a neighbour is about recognizing need, seeking to understand how to respond to that need, and taking appropriate action. No matter who it involves. Or where. 

This morning, I've been thinking of my neighbours who are fighting a war in Ukraine, who are undocumented workers in the US, and who are girls and women who think the presidential glass ceiling will never be smashed. My heart aches for them in the wake of the results of the election. But what has really bothered me is recognizing that my neighbours are also the people who voted for a person whom I have no respect for, someone who I find intolerable. Some of these neighbours are quiet, well educated, and probably lovely people who would help me in a heartbeat. Others of whom are racist, misogynistic, and homophobic. And I recognize that most of us are all of the above. They/we are all neighbours, for better or worse.

This morning, I don't know what action to take. I've sent some notes to people I care about. I've taken the dog for a walk. That's about it. Before I act, I need to continue to seek to understand. I have a feeling it's going to be a long process.

Hamdella: Egypt, partnerships, and comparative education

According to my passport, the last time I was in Egypt was August 2019. I was three days from coming to Egypt in March 2020 when COVID-19 hit and all my plans were changed. Today, I arrived back in Cairo for the first time in nearly four years. I have heard "hamdella" [welcome] from those I know. It's a wonderful word.

I am here for two primary reasons:

1. Discussions with colleagues at the American University of Cairo, considered the best university in the region, regarding potential partnerships and research collaborations. I am meeting with multiple faculty members who have common research interests. I also have meetings with the director of the Education program who I have only met via video conferencing in the past. I am fortunate to have a colleague at Laurier who has a long history with ACU and who has nurtured these connections.

2. Ongoing work with Dover International School, a school that I have worked with for close to 10 years. The director is a former director of a school board in Ontario who I worked with in that context. He retired and took on the role of director of this international school. This May, we have 19 Laurier teacher candidates at Dover. Over the next few days, I'll be working with some of the teachers at Dover who I have had research projects with and also supporting our Laurier teacher candidates as they learn about teaching in a different context than Ontario.

There's always much to learn when you travel. For example, did you know that weekends in Egypt are on Friday/Saturday? The holy day is Friday. My learning will continue on this trip as I find out more about how educators in Egypt engage with topics such as school leadership, innovation, and inclusive education for students with disabilities.

Innovation and inclusion in education: Three aspects from St. Lucia

 I have spent the past week and a half in St. Lucia, 1/3 of that time spent in a conference on innovation in education, 1/3 spent in research team meetings, and another 1/3 spent exploring special education on the island.

First, the conference was the first Caribbean Education Innovation Forum. It was supported by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Connection Grant. The purpose of the forum was to bring a variety of educational stakeholders from the Eastern Caribbean together to discuss innovation in education. There were seven countries involved (as well as four of us from Canada) and each country had a Ministry representative (i.e., a system leader), a principal, and a teacher. The two-day conference included a couple of keynote presentations and many break-out sessions. The value of the break-out sessions were in the variety of approaches: some were role-specific (e.g., all principals met), others were topic-specific (e.g., inclusive education), and others were country-specific (e.g., the three reps from a particular country met to debrief a topic). There were many, many rich conversations. There seemed to be good support for a follow-up step to include applying for a grant that would provide further opportunities for program-development and research on innovation in education.

Second, the research meetings included our International Development Research Council (IDRC) team which is exploring teacher innovation in St. Lucia and Haiti. The team met for two days to debrief the work that has been done over the past 1.5 years in these two contexts and to plan next steps. One action step that I will be contributing will be editing a special issue of a comparative and international education journal to focus on some of the research related to this project. There has been some good progress in St. Lucia and Haiti with teacher innovation projects. We are hoping to be able to leverage the forum we hosted at the beginning of the week and the work we have been doing in St. Lucia and Haiti to scale the Human Centered Design innovation projects in other contexts.

Third, the meetings and discussions related to special education is as a result of some of the lessons we are learning in other contexts such as Ghana and Mauritius. The Ministry of Education in St. Lucia has a small special education unit (six members). I met with the director of the unit and one of the staff. We had a very fruitful meeting (and subsequent discussions) to talk about the history of special education in St. Lucia, the current context and challenges, and hopes for the future. It was a pleasure to be able to connect the director of the special education unit with my colleague in Mauritius who is in the same role and who I have been supporting. There are lots of valuable lessons for special education across small island states and beyond.

It has been a very productive week with excellent discussions, mobilization of information about current effective practices, and brainstorming on possibilities for the future.

Experiences with inclusion and stigmatization in Kumasi, Ghana: We fear what we don't know

We have spent this week in meetings with students with disabilities, as well as their parents, teachers, and school administrators, in Kumasi, Ghana. The research project is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and is part of a four year project to explore inclusive education for students with disabilities in Ghana. An anticipated outcome of the project is the development of training resources to help teachers foster inclusive classrooms. Our last research trip to Ghana was in December 2019, just a few months before the Covid-19 pandemic (see previous post).

The activities of this week have led to new insights about inclusive education not only in Ghana but also in Canada. Here are some quotes which really resonated with me:

"It [disability] feels like a punishment."

"We [teachers] are professional beggars [since they have to beg for supplies and resources]."

"When a parent gives birth to a disabled child, you have to really try or your child will die."

"Teachers with disabilities feel rejected."

"I have not had a salary for two years."

"We're draining the family finances."

"If not limited by space, the numbers of students with disabilities we would have would be huge."

"We fear what we don't know."

Research can seem like a "cold" and sanitized process. However, qualitative research that centres the stories and experiences of participants makes the research come alive. Real people are telling compelling stories of challenging, mundane, joyful, everyday, and traumatic experiences.

One 18 year old was burned in an accident at a young age. She was left with significant physical limitations. Yet, she is completing secondary school and is looking for ways to ensure a brighter future.

A child in primary school is able to attend classes because her parents and teachers have committed to ensuring that she can attend school despite her physical restrictions.

A university student told us about how access to a powered wheelchair has allowed him to move across the university campus.

Yet, these are not stories of inspiration. There are daily struggles. Not everyone gets the chance to remain in school. Yesterday, a principal told us of a single-parent who has had to remove her child with a disability from the school because she cannot pay the fees. A common theme across the stories we have heard is of stigma and discrimination that children and young people with disabilities have encountered (and continue to encounter).

There is no doubt that we have made massive progress in supporting students with disabilities in schools. Not that long ago, students with disabilities in Canada and in Ghana were ostracized from schools or placed in segregated settings. This still happens in many parts of Ghana. In Canada, children still experience segregation from other children. But progress is being made. We must continue to fight for the right of every child to belong in their community school.

Returning to international research after Covid-19

I have been "missing in action" as far as writing in this blog for the past two years. I blame Covid-19 but it might also be a reflection of the sense of "pause" that much of my life has been under during this time. 

My international research projects took many different directions during Covid-19. One large project in Haiti, funded by the Canadian government (SSHRC), has been on hold since I am not able to currently travel to Haiti and that project requires more interaction on-the-ground with partners. Another one that involves Haitian partners continued but we were able to engage in research meetings in other countries. Work in other contexts such as Ghana, Egypt, Kenya, and Ethiopia were all on hold. Two other projects involving more remote-based work, one in Mauritius and the other in sub-Saharan Africa, were able to be successfully completed by mid-2022.

This fall, opportunities for travel started ramping up in earnest. I traveled to Mauritius to work with the Special Education Needs Authority (Ministry of Education) in launching their new effort to support all children, regardless of need or strength, in their neighourhood schools. Being on-the-ground in Mauritius reminded me of the incredible privilege involved in international research partnerships.

I am now in Ghana, about to board a flight to Kumasi, where we will be working on an inclusive education project. In fact, the last international trip I took prior to the Covid-19 pandemic was to Ghana where we worked in Accra and Tamale. Being back in Ghana is wonderful but bitter-sweeet. Since we were last here in December 2019, our key research partner in Tamale, Sayibu Imoro, has passed away. He was a huge champion for inclusive education.

After returning to Canada at the end of February, I will be traveling to St. Lucia to meet with the partners on an IDRC-funded project. We have just submitted a proposal to SSHRC to extend/scale the project on teacher innovation that we have been working on in St. Lucia and Haiti. If funded, it would enable us to support innovation projects in education in other contexts in the Caribbean.

Covid-19 has certainly caused many pauses in international research projects and, unfortunately, many more negative and sobering consequences. However, a pause, just like a time-out in basketball, can be a time to reflect, re-group, and re-strategize on key steps forward. I'm very thankful for the privilege to be engaged in re-imagining international research partnerships and projects going forward.

Lead to include: What does it mean to effectively lead schools to ensure that all students belong?

I remember early in my school leadership career talking with a family about the school experiences of their daughter who had been ostracized because of her learning disability. Britney (not her real name) talked about often being placed at a table in the back of the classroom where she would be given worksheets to complete. She talked about regular visits out of the class with the school's special education resource teacher. On the playground, she struggled to make friends. Britney was a quiet, shy student who became more reserved as she experienced bullying at the school and on the school bus. Britney felt little sense of belonging in the school.

Now Britney was moving into Grade 7 in my school. I attended the transition meeting that occurred in May at her previous school. I listened to the comments of her teachers, the resource teacher, and the principal. I heard her mother's angst as she described the challenges they experienced at home trying to encourage Britney, not only in her school work but in her emotional well-being. And I listened as Britney quietly expressed a deep desire for a different experience as she changed schools.

In our research, we have been studying "critical incidents", that is, experiences that shape and inform the perspectives and practices of principals. That transition team meeting was a critical incident for me. Even 25 years later, I can clearly see the room in which we met and the various people around the table. I distinctly recall the conversation. That experience would inform and frame my own work as a school administrator. It has also served as a catalyst for the research I have been engaged with for the past 10 years.

What does it mean to effectively lead schools to ensure that all students belong? Britney's experience in our school provides three insights.

First, our team of educational staff met regularly to discuss Britney's progress. Often these meetings involved Britney and family members. One office assistant had a very positive connection with Britney and would often attend these meetings. We insisted on a holistic, dynamic, and flexible approach that was responsive to her needs.

Second, we made a commitment to support Britney to the greatest degree possible in the classroom. This support was not at a separate table at the back of the classroom. She was fully included in all aspects of the class including in a peer-to-peer support program that encouraged students to identify and use their strengths to foster a healthy school community. And when individual help was needed in the class, classroom teachers and support workers coordinated as a team so that every student could have access to that support.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, we strove to engage Britney - and every other student - in activities outside of the class. For Britney, this included being involved in an annual musical production and supporting a school drama production in which she helped manage the sets. Britney shone in these activities and her circle of friends grew. Belonging is fostered through relationships which often are strengthened in out-of-class activities.

So what does this all have to do with leadership? Effective schools leaders have guiding beliefs that drive their practices. Their perspectives shape their practices. If a principal is committed to "lead to include" then they will be more apt to actually implement, support, model, and nurture practices which foster classrooms and schools where all students belong.

Britney attended our school for Grade 7 and 8 and then transitioned to high school. Occasionally, I would run into her or her family over the next few years. Although there were definitely challenges at our school and in her high school experience, the trajectory that began at the transition meeting enabled Britney to successfully complete high school and embark on a career she found rewarding. I tell of a similar experience, "Who is your Nathalia?" in Principal Connections, a magazine for principals in Ontario.

Principals have enormous capacity to foster healthy, supportive, inclusive schools. For more resources that can support leadership competencies in this journey, please see the resources we have provided on our research website.

Re-tooling teacher professional development: The pandemic as a catalyst for change

Normally at this time of the year, our Educator and Leadership Institutes would be in full swing. By the middle of July, we would have completed a full week of training in Nepal, a weekend of intensive leadership training in Haiti, and a week of in-class support for teachers in Egypt. We would have been doing last minute planning for the August ELI in Haiti with 600 teachers and 200 children participating. And this year, we were planning on a week of teacher training in Ethiopia during this very week.

None of these has taken place.

But we have discovered new and innovative ways to engage in teacher and principal professional development.

Our website (www.ELICollaboration.org) is currently being "re-tooled" to include dozens of easily accessible and free resources for educators around the world. We will be informing ELI participants  about these resources in the next few weeks to help them in their individual pursuit of learning.

We have received a small grant to develop a new online course that educators from anywhere in the world can complete. We anticipate having the course up and running before the start of the new school year.

Our Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) camp in Haiti is being re-imagined with the help of our Haitian university student leaders as we hope to provide children in northern Haiti with STEAM activities that they can do without gathering socially.

These are incredibly complex and challenging times. Educators around the world are struggling with what it means to teach in a pandemic. The big question that unites educators globally is: How can we provide opportunities for children to learn in a safe and supportive environment? Traditionally, the physical school environment has provided the structure to allow these opportunities. Take the building out of the equation and the challenges of teaching and learning escalate, particularly in parts of the world that cannot easily, reliably, or cheaply access the Internet. I've written about how the pandemic has exacerbated the educational divide.

But that doesn't have to be the end of the story. I've also written about innovative leadership in challenging contexts such as Haiti. Creative principals and teachers CAN make a difference in the midst of a pandemic, both in local and global contexts.

I've written a lot about "critical incidents" as catalysts for change. We all experience these types of situations that, in hindsight, we see as having changed a particular direction or trajectory in our personal or professional lives.

The pandemic is a critical incident on a scale the world has not seen in many years. For ELI, it has led to some disappointment but it has also served as a catalyst to re-focus on how we can engage in collaborative professional development ... from a distance.

The devastation of the coronavirus: The global and the local seem very close and very far apart

The spread of the coronavirus disease, COVID-19, has been devastating. Schools have been closed, businesses deeply impacted, and many lives have been lost. Individuals are experiencing debilitating anxiety and profound loss. The pandemic is having a world-wide impact and many global communities are experiencing similar challenges and outcomes.

In this way, the coronavirus has reminded us of the intense "proximity" of individuals and communities around the world. We are sharing in the same challenging experience.

Yet, at the same time, the divides which separate us are being made particularly clear through the pandemic.

A simple illustration can be found in my own university teaching. In my university context, as with many around the world, faculty are moving classes online. It's not an easy process to do this well and I've tried to take an approach that "does no harm" by minimizing the disruption to my students. I have access to incredible resources to make this happen. I have a laptop, high speed Internet, access to colleagues who can help me, and online resources that can help me in my online teaching.

At the same time, I've been reminded that moving classes online is a privilege that many do not share.

Locally, many of my students are struggling to access high speed Internet or library resources they need to work on projects. Globally, many of my faculty colleagues in contexts such as Haiti don't have access to the same resources and can't simply "go online."

The pandemic is shedding light on even more significant divides which exist globally: Who has money to buy basic supplies at times like this? Who doesn't? Who has access to health care? Who doesn't? What governments are able to provide a safety net to citizens? Which governments cannot?

As much as the concept of "glocal" is very important to me - after all, there is much solidarity we can demonstrate at times like this - it is also a reminder that the divides which exist in our own communities and globally are still profound.

By that I am deeply saddened, disturbed, and angry.

Haiti 10 years after the 2010 earthquake: Reflecting on justice and solidarity

I had been providing leadership courses for principals in Haiti, primarily in the Port au Prince area, for about five years before the January 12, 2010 earthquake struck. I was fairly familiar with the main roads, institutions, and geographical landmarks of the city. What I saw on the television screens the night of January 12 and in the days ahead did not look like the city that I had become increasingly familiar with.

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the tragedy - both that which occurred in a few seconds on January 12 and that which has unfolded in the ten years since.

The response to the earthquake has been the subject of many, many articles, documentaries, and books. Three that I would recommend are:

1. Jacqueline Charles, correspondent with the Miami Herald
Read her 10th year anniversary series here: Haiti Earthquake: A Decade of Aftershocks

2. Jonathan Katz's The Big Truck That Went By


3. Paul Farmer's Haiti After the Earthquake


I too have written extensively about Haiti, primarily documenting efforts to foster education in the country. This work has been published in books and scholarly journals but has also received a lot of attention through this blog (see this entry from October 23, 2019 as one example)

Ten years after the earthquake, Haiti continues to struggle. Some have called it a "failing state". But these types of terms fail in describing the complexities of Haiti.

An anniversary such as today provides an opportunity to join in solidarity with our Haitian friends and colleagues. It is a day to reflect on the injustices that have been perpetuated against many Haitians who deserve better.

It's also a day when we can commit to pursuing justice going forward.

One way we - Haitian and Canadian teachers - are striving to pursue justice is by working together to learn from each other and to support each other in improving our teaching practices. The Educator and Leadership Institute (ELI) provides a "meeting place" for where this learning and support can take place. Over 1,000 Haitian and Canadian teachers have participated in ELI in northern Haiti in the city of Cap-Haitien in the five years since it was established. At its core, ELI provides an opportunity for relationships to develop. Relationships are foundational to solidarity, to reciprocity, and ultimately to a commitment to social justice.

Today I will remember my friends and colleagues who have had their lives dramatically impacted by the 2010 earthquake. And I will reflect on how I can work for justice in solidarity with my Haitian teaching colleagues.

Being mindful of the "why" we are involved with international research partnerships for inclusive education

Magnus, Kimberly, TK, Jacqui, me

Last night our team had the opportunity to visit TK Azaglo and the NGO he began 10 years ago called Future of Africa (click here for the website).

The visit reminded me of the "why" behind our research partnership meetings over the past 10 days.

The "why" is plural. It's the children of Ghana ... and Canada. We are building research partnerships and developing research projects so that we can examine and then tell the story of why it is important that all children have access to equitable and inclusive schooling.

TK works with street kids in Accra. In doing so, he is not only working to meet their needs but is also building the capacity of the university student volunteers who meet every Friday and Saturday night as an outreach to the children.

Sign on the outside of the FOA building

We witnessed this capacity-building work last night as a dozen or more university students from across Africa (Ghana, Uganda, Burundi, Kenya, and Zimbabwe) - all of whom attend an innovative university called Ashesi University in Ghana - met and interacted with children who live on the streets. They do this every Friday and Saturday night. Why? Because they want to make a difference.

Posted inside FOA

It was a powerful experience to observe - and interact with - both the university student volunteers and the kids. It reminded me that, despite radically different lived experiences, we share some basic aspects of humanity. Namely, we crave relationships and knowing that others believe in us.

In many ways, this parallels the work we do in supporting students with special education needs. Encouraging - and sometimes fighting for - their right to have their needs addressed in classrooms and schools with their peers begins when we engage in building healthy and supportive relationships and demonstrating our belief in their value.

As we wrap up this exploratory research trip, it was an important reminder to me to keep my focus on why we do what we do.

What does "partnership development" mean when it involves the Global North and the Global South? Avoiding new-colonial mindsets and practices

For more than a week, we have been meeting with different educational stakeholders in Ghana as we explore what inclusive education means and the types of resources needed to help teachers support students with disabilities and special education needs.

Picture taken at Ghana International School

Today, we wrapped up meetings with the Ghana Education Service (akin to Ministry of Education) and Ghana International School to discuss next steps in developing our partnership.

The goal of the Partnership Development Grants of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) - which has funded this study - is to engage potential partners in collaborative research projects. Today, we mapped out a number of potential directions our research partnership could take over the next few years. These included the possibility of working with experienced teachers, working with new teachers, working with those who are preparing to be teachers, or working with school heads to support their knowledge and resource development related to students with special education needs.

Our meetings with the Ghana Education Service (GES) have been illuminating. The director of the inclusive education unit has expressed some hesitation in the development of the partnership. She clearly wants to ensure that our work aligns with the strategic direction of the GES. She wants to prevent duplication of services. She has also indicated that she is concerned when organizations do work in Ghana but her department does not know about the research or receives a report about the research but without input from her department. These are legitimate issues and I really appreciate her attention to ensuring that the partnership is truly a partnership.

Picture taken at Ghana International School

In a way, she is expressing concern about a form of neo-colonialism in the research realm. We typically think of colonialism or neo-colonialism as being political, economic, and military-related when a particular government or group dominates and controls another group or region. But as researchers we have to be cautious that we are not perpetuating a form of neo-colonialism when we do research in the Global South in the name of "improvement" without fully and authentically engaging and working with local stakeholders.

One of the aspects of the SSHRC Partnership Development Grant program that I really value is that organizations have up to three years to foster the development of partnerships. This provides an opportunity for relationships to be fostered. Out of relationships comes the opportunity to demonstrate reciprocity and build trust. As we plan for further work in Ghana, these aspects will remain foundational as we look to build partnerships that can explore issues of real importance without perpetuating a neo-colonial mindset and practices.

On-going learning about inclusive education in Ghana: Considering the perspectives of government officials, teachers, and parents

Today we completed a full day of focus groups with three different groups of educational stakeholders in Tamale, a city in northern Ghana:

1. Officials from Ghana Education Service (similar to Ontario's Ministry of Education).
2. Teachers and parents.
3. Other stakeholders (e.g., private schools, NGOs)

We were particularly interested in hearing about three aspects of inclusive education:

1. What does inclusive education mean to you?
2. What policies guide your work in inclusive education?
3. What experiences have you had in supporting students with special education needs and disabilities?

About 30 people participated in the focus groups. It was fascinating to listen to the insights and perspectives of the participants. Here are my "top 10" key lessons I learned:

1. There seems to be a greater willingness to work with students with "mild" disabilities in the regular classroom. Students with more challenging disabilities were generally seen as needing the supports available in specialized, segregated schools.
2. Many teachers had not heard of, never mind seen, the 2015 Ministry of Education policy document that is supposed to guide inclusive education in Ghana. There seems to be a large gap between policy and practice.
3. Participants identified that one of the most significant challenges to inclusion is the pervasiveness of stigma associated with disability in Ghana.
4. Resources are scarce and most schools do not have access to specialized support (e.g., special education resource teachers).
5. Classes are large so it is difficult for teachers to focus on more significant individual student needs because of the breadth of needs in their classrooms.
6. Training of teachers on inclusive education is sporadic and without monitoring/accountability structures to ensure that students with disabilities are included. Teachers would like more professional learning opportunities and on-going support.
7. There is a recognition of a wide variety of needs. Specific disabilities that were discussed included physical disabilities, autism, mental disabilities, learning disabilities (dyslexia, dyscalculia), and intellectual disabilities.
   
8. There is a lack of assessment/diagnostic resources aside from referring children and their families to hospitals or medical practitioners. The Swiss Red Cross has played a significant role in supporting interventions such as hearing assessments.
9. Parents of children with disabilities expressed appreciation for caring teachers but also commented that there was a significant lack of resources to support their children in community schools.
10. Participants were appreciative that this is the beginning of a three year study that includes developing training resources. Participants were looking for on-going engagement and not singular training events. 

There is much to learn about inclusive education in Ghana but the reciprocity in the learning journey today is a strong indicator that the future of our partnership development work in Ghana is healthy!

Inclusive education in Ghana: Every child shines in a particular area

Dr. Jacqueline Specht from Western University

Today, our team met with about 50 teachers from Ghana International School to discuss inclusive education in their school context and the broader community. The school is one of the leading private schools in Ghana. We were curious to find out about their experiences with, and perspectives of, inclusive education.


The workshop was a balance of providing information related to inclusive education and gaining insights from the participants. We used the "heart, head, hands" framework for our instructional blocks:

Heart: what do we believe about inclusive education?
Head: what does the research say?
Hands: what can we do to support all students?




At the end of each block, we asked the participants to provide feedback on some key questions such as:

• What experiences have shaped your thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes about students with special education needs?
• Are there spaces in your classrooms and schools where only certain students belong? Why?
• What plans need to be in place to support educators on the journey with inclusion?

Dr. Kimberly Maich from Memorial University

We collected the responses from the participants on these questions and will use them to help inform our future research and project development. The workshop will be repeated next Saturday with a similar group from public schools so it served as a bit of an opportunity to determine how we can gain insight into inclusive education in Ghana.

This written comment from one of the groups of participants caught my attention and serves as an important reminder of why we work in Canada and beyond to foster inclusive school environments:

What does inclusive education mean in Ghana?

I've been in Accra, Ghana for the past two days in meetings with the Ghana Education Service (equivalent to Ontario's Ministry of Education) and administrators from Ghana International School. I'm part of a team of four Canadian researchers (Dr. Magnus Mfoafo M'Carthy and I from Laurier, Dr. Jacqui Specht from Western, and Dr. Kimberly Maich from Memorial) working with partners in Ghana to better understand what it means to be a student with a disability or special education need in Ghana.

UN Sustainable Development Goal #4: A global priority

Entrance to the Director of Inclusive Education office

Our first meeting with the Director of Inclusive Education at Ghana Education Service was informative as we heard about the historical practices - and movement to - inclusive education. Supporting students with disabilities and special education needs in schools is a relatively new phenomenon globally. Canada has been moving in this direction for the past 50 years but still has a long way to go as there are still many gaps in services and resistance to full inclusion. Similarly, Ghana has a policy on inclusive education but there is still a significant gap between policy and practice. We are here to better understand this and to identify ways that we may partner together to support inclusive education in Ghana.

We have also met with administrators from Ghana International School, one of Ghana's top schools. GIS is a partner in this exploratory study as it seeks to support its own students who may have disabilities. But GIS also is committed to supporting education more broadly in Ghana. It is serving as a host for two days of workshops we will do with teachers from GIS and other schools in Accra to better understand their own experiences with, and beliefs about, inclusive education. These two workshops are tomorrow (Dec. 7) and the following Saturday (Dec. 14). Joining us at the workshops are a number of Ghanaian scholars and disability rights personnel who will further help with developing a better understanding of inclusive education in Ghana.

One way to conceptualize the spectrum from exclusion to inclusion

Next week we will travel to Tamale, a city in northern Ghana to explore the issue in focus groups with government officials, teachers, and other stakeholders. This will provide us with some comparative information to better understand inclusive education in diverse parts of Ghana.

This trip will provide us with some baseline data about inclusive education for our work with the partners over the next three years. It will also help as we develop a comparative and international understanding of inclusive education. We anticipate doing similar work in other contexts such as Haiti and Bangladesh. The study is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

Haiti: Quo vadis?

Tonight I have a lot of work to do.

But my mind is on Haiti.

I was supposed to be in Haiti this week teaching a university Master of Education course on school leadership. It's something I've done for years and I have always enjoyed it.

But this year, the course was cancelled due to safety concerns for participants having to travel to the location just outside of Port au Prince. I have traveled two or three times a year to Haiti for the past 10 years as I support professional learning for teachers. This is the first time a trip has been cancelled.

Haiti is in the midst of a crisis. Yet, few people outside of Haiti are even aware of it. The issues are complex and yet they are also simple. The current crisis is really the boiling point of years of western interference and government corruption that has been exasperated through the collapse of Venezuela's discounted oil program with Haiti. If you want to read about some of the associated issues, I would suggest that you find articles by Jacqueline Charles of the Miami Herald and read them. Here is a good place to start (click here).

In the linked article above, the Archbishop of Port au Prince, Max Leroy Mésidor, states, “People cannot go on any longer. We are fed up.”

He is being literal in the use of the language "people cannot go on any longer."

I am hearing daily reports of people who haven't been paid in months, are surviving on bread crumbs, and who cannot travel safely. Children have not yet been in school this fall. Hospitals are regularly shut down. There is rarely electricity.

Haitians are protesting in the streets. There is real suffering. People are saying that it's a crisis like they haven't seen in decades.

My Haitian colleagues are not asking for western intervention. They know that the problem is one that they need to fix.

Yet, we need to do something. It is inhumane to watch idly as people suffer.

So what can be done?

Our Canadian political landscape has been dominated with election news over the past six weeks. It's time for Justin Trudeau and other elected leaders to stop looking internally and recognize there is a crisis in our backyard.

Haitians don't want western intervention but our government can certainly increase pressure on the Haitian president, Jovenel Moïse, to take real action in response to the suffering of the people.

Canadians can also use traditional news channels and social media to become more aware of the challenges - and the potential - of Haiti. Haitians want to know that they are not alone, that others know about their suffering. And that we care.

Haitians are marching and demanding change.

Quo vadis? Will we sit by silently or will we too demand and work for change?

Note: I am sending a version of this blog post to a number of Canadian news channels as an op-ed as part of my own efforts to mobilize knowledge around the situation in Haiti.